First Person Project Explainer: Rosie's Partnership with FPP
The following document provides comprehensive detail on how Rosie's Contributory Ecosystem Model, coupled with revenue-sharing mechanisms, aligns with the goals of the First Person Network Cooperative (FPNC) while addressing key funding challenges.
1. Funding and Operational Challenges for the FPP
The First Person Network Cooperative (FPNC) faces several structural and financial hurdles common to digital cooperatives aiming to establish an open global digital utility:
- Securing Initial Capital: A primary barrier to entry for platform cooperatives is the initial securing of funds, particularly because their mission often ideologically devalues generating profits for investor-stakeholders. As of September 2025, the First Person Project was still an all-volunteer effort and was actively raising the First Person Fund.
- Defining Legal and Revenue Structures: A core workstream for FPP organizers is determining the optimal legal structure for the FPNC (or a network of legal entities), as no existing legal statute may fully support its expansive global vision. The business model ties directly to the legal structure decision and how the cooperative will generate revenue to fulfill its mission.
- Establishing Early Competitive Advantage: In its initial phases, the FPNC will likely have little or no pricing advantage compared to hyperscalers. Its initial growth must therefore rely on the four trust network effects of joining a decentralized trust network and using First Person Certified agents.
- The First Person Fund Strategy: The FPP intends to overcome initial funding challenges through the First Person Fund, an ecosystem investment fund. This fund, which operates on the principle of investing in commercial companies that build value-added products and services on top of FPP trust infrastructure, provides startup capital (in the form of loans and/or grants) to the FPNC. The fund's thesis is that, by investing in companies that leverage the FPP's trust infrastructure, the FPNC's success is necessary to unlock new layers of commercial value for those investment companies.
2. Alignment of Rosie's Business Model with the FPNC Co-op Model
Rosie's business philosophy, defined by its Contributory Ecosystem Model, inherently aligns with the democratic and patron-centric principles of the Network Cooperative (NC) structure, providing a solid foundation for our shared goals and strategies.
Key Principles of the Contributory Ecosystem Model
The Contributory Ecosystem Model ensures that value flows to those who create it through five core principles:
- Contribution-Based Value Attribution - Every contribution has measurable value based on how it helps others
- Proportional Rewards (Return on Contributions) - Compensation is proportional to impact; rewards distributed based on relevance
- Self-Sustaining Economy - Contributors earn credits and revenue that reduce their own costs
- Transparency and Trust - All economics are transparent and verifiable with clear cost calculations
- Creator Control and IP Rights - IP creators maintain complete ownership and set their own licensing terms
This model naturally aligns with cooperative principles where economic benefits are allocated based on participation (patronage) rather than capital contribution, creating a self-funding ecosystem that mirrors FPNC's goals.
Learn more about the Contributory Ecosystem Model →
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Creator Control
Rosie's stance on Intellectual Property strengthens the cooperative structure:
- Creator Empowerment and IPR Revenue: IP Creators maintain complete control over their proprietary content and set their own AI Assistant hourly rate (just like their consulting rate). They earn prorated revenue each time Rosie uses their content—calculated transparently based on response time and content proportion. This creates passive recurring income as others query Rosie for their specialized knowledge.
3. The Rosie Ecosystem: Detailed Understanding
Understanding Member Roles (Cumulative Progression)
Member roles in the Rosie ecosystem are cumulative capabilities, not separate people. A single member can progress through all three roles over time:
graph TD subgraph AllMembers["🟢 All Members
Consume member-only content
Access licensed content they own"] subgraph Contributors["🟢 Contributors
+ Submit generic content
+ Earn Return on Contributions
+ Build reputation on leaderboard"] subgraph IPROwners["🔵 IPR Owners
+ Create IPR-protected frameworks
+ Set AI Assistant hourly rate
+ Earn IPR usage revenue"] end end end style AllMembers fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4caf50,stroke-width:3px style Contributors fill:#c8e6c9,stroke:#4caf50,stroke-width:3px style IPROwners fill:#a5d6a7,stroke:#2196f3,stroke-width:3px
Member roles are cumulative: All Contributors are Members, all IPR Owners are Contributors
🟢 All Members (Available Today):
- Consume member-only content
- Access licensed content they own
🟢 Contributors (subset of members):
- ✓ All Consumer capabilities PLUS
- Submit generic content
- Earn Return on Contributions
- Build reputation on leaderboard
🔵 IPR Owners (subset of Contributors - In Process):
- ✓ All Contributor capabilities PLUS
- Create IPR-protected frameworks
- Set licensing terms and AI Assistant hourly rate
- Earn licensing revenue
Key Insight: A single member can progress from Consumer → Contributor → IPR Owner. Many IPR Owners are also licensees of other members' content, creating a rich collaborative ecosystem.
Organizations & Licensing Models (Detailed)
🔵 Licensee Organizations (In Process):
- Organizations that license IPR-protected frameworks for their use
- Can be members who also contribute their own content and earn revenue
- Cannot create derivative works or redistribute without additional licensing
- Examples: Healthcare companies licensing GDPR + FPP frameworks, consulting firms licensing industry-specific implementations, startups using frameworks for client work
- Revenue Flow: When they query Rosie, they pay Rosie Hourly Rate + IPR Owners' hourly rates for content used
- Similar to: Proprietary software licenses - use for internal purposes, no redistribution or modification rights
🔵 Downstream Organizations (In Process):
- Organizations with derivative work licenses allowing adaptation and redistribution
- Can modify frameworks for their context and distribute to their members
- Maintain upstream connection for automatic cascading updates via Rosie
- Earn their own IPR revenue when downstream members use their derivative extensions
- Examples: National → Provincial → Local associations, federated co-op networks, international chapters
- Revenue Flow: Pay upstream Rosie Hourly Rate + FPP Hourly Rate + IPR Owners' hourly rates for all content used by their downstream members + Earn IPR revenue from downstream for their extensions
- Similar to: GPL/ShareAlike licenses combined with franchise models - can adapt while maintaining upstream connection and sharing improvements
Real-World Example: GDPR Specialist
A GDPR specialist creates "FPP + GDPR Compliance Framework":
Licensee Organizations Model:
- Individual healthcare companies license for implementation (direct licensing fees)
- Each company pays IPR Owner's hourly rate when using Rosie with this content
- Healthcare company cannot redistribute or modify the framework
Downstream Organizations Model:
- EU Healthcare Association licenses with derivative rights
- Association extends framework for medical data privacy regulations
- Distributes to member hospitals
- When hospital members query Rosie: Hospital pays → Association Rate (for their extensions) → Association pays → GDPR specialist Rate (for base framework) → FPP Rate (for core) + Rosie Rate for AI Assistant
Cascading Benefit:
- When GDPR specialist updates regulations → EU Healthcare Association's content auto-updates → All downstream hospitals immediately benefit in their Rosie queries
- No manual re-implementation needed
- Everyone stays current automatically
Familiar Models Comparison
This licensing approach combines proven concepts:
Like Open Source Software:
- IPR Owners create frameworks (like maintainers)
- Licensees use them (like MIT license users)
- Downstream extends them (like GPL forks)
Like Franchise Systems:
- National creates standards
- Regional adapts for local needs
- Local implements for members
FPP's Innovation:
- Automatic cascading updates via Rosie
- When upstream content improves, all downstream organizations immediately benefit in their Rosie queries without manual re-implementation
- Unlike franchises (manual updates) or open source (forked versions that drift), Rosie keeps the entire ecosystem synchronized automatically
4. Synergy: Governance Operationalization and Commercial Opportunities
The capabilities offered by Rosie's Governance Operationalization Service create substantial commercial synergy with the FPNC's mission of building coherent governance structures for digital trust ecosystems.
Governance Frameworks and Derivative IPR
Rosie transforms governance principles into actionable, reusable frameworks that create commercial opportunities:
- Operationalizing Governance: Rosie's content harmonization enables FPNC members to transform monolithic governance documents into adaptable, operational packages
- Derivative IPR Licensing: Members can create specialized governance frameworks, license them to organizations, and earn revenue when their frameworks are used or extended
- Automatic Change Management: Upstream governance updates cascade downstream automatically via Rosie, keeping all implementations synchronized without manual re-work
Productization and Licensing Opportunities
- Productization for Resale: FPP can productize Rosie and its knowledge base for resale or franchise additional co-ops
- Derivative Work Licensing: Downstream organizations extend upstream frameworks and earn revenue while benefiting from automatic updates
- Ecosystem Focus: Enriching members' ecosystems creates collaborative environments where all participants benefit from shared knowledge
5. Revenue Sharing Model (Detailed)
The partnership between Rosie and FPP includes multiple revenue-sharing mechanisms that create sustainable income for the cooperative:
Rosie AI Assistant Revenue Share
- Hourly Rate Revenue: When FPP members use Rosie AI Assistant (pay-per-use hourly rate model), the FPP receives a percentage of the revenue generated from these usage fees
- Recurring Income: This creates a recurring revenue stream for the cooperative as member usage grows
- No Infrastructure Cost: FPP benefits from revenue without managing AI infrastructure or tokens
IPR Usage Revenue Share
- Usage-Based IPR Revenue: IPR Owners set their own AI Assistant hourly rate. When licensees query Rosie using IPR content, IPR Owners earn prorated revenue (e.g., 30 seconds × 100% IPR content × their hourly rate)
- FPP Receives Revenue Share: The FPP receives a percentage of IPR usage revenue generated through the ecosystem
- Cascading Revenue: As downstream organizations extend and license derivative works, FPP continues to receive revenue share from the upstream intellectual property
- Passive Recurring Income: This creates passive recurring income streams for both IPR Owners and the cooperative as the ecosystem grows—revenue earned without additional active work
Detailed Revenue Flow Example
Scenario: Local Co-op member queries Rosie about agricultural best practices
Content Used in Response:
- National Association's framework (50% of content)
- Provincial extension (30% of content)
- Local implementation (20% of content)
- Response takes 30 seconds (0.5 minutes)
Revenue Distribution:
Member Pays:
- Rosie Hourly Rate: 0.5 min × $60/hour = $0.50
- National IPR Rate: 0.5 min × 50% × $180/hour = $0.75
- Provincial IPR Rate: 0.5 min × 30% × $150/hour = $0.375
- Local IPR Rate: 0.5 min × 20% × $120/hour = $0.20
- Total: $1.825
Revenue Distribution:
- Rosie Operations: Receives portion of $0.50 (infrastructure, AI costs)
- FPP: Receives revenue share % from the $0.50 Rosie Hourly Rate
- National Association: Receives $0.75
- Provincial Association: Receives $0.375
- Local Co-op: Receives $0.20
Transparent Revenue Distribution
- All revenue sharing is calculated and distributed using Rosie's transparent economics model
- Members can track exactly how their contributions generate revenue for themselves and the cooperative
- The cooperative's revenue share supports operations without requiring traditional investor funding
6. User FPP Stories
Actors: Site Visitor, Member: Content Submitter, Member: IPR Owner, Member: Ecosystem Builder
User Story 1: Site Visitor - Learning About the FPP
As a site visitor, I want to learn about the First Person Project and its mission, so that I can understand how it aims to create a global digital utility based on trust and cooperation.
This can be enabled by FPP providing their own AI Provider tokens (Bring-Your-Own-Token) and drawing on their account to pay per use of Rosie AI Assistant services. Rosie can enable public read-only content for non-members, with members paying for enhanced services and contributions.
User Story 2: Member: Content Submitter - Contributing Knowledge
As a member and content submitter, I want to contribute my knowledge and expertise to the FPP, so that I can build my reputation and be fairly rewarded through Return on Contributions.
User Story 3: Member: IPR Owner - Licensing Intellectual Property
As a member and IPR owner, I want to maintain control over my intellectual property and set my own AI Assistant hourly rate, so that I can earn income when others benefit from my specialized knowledge.
User Story 4: Member: Ecosystem Builder - Leveraging Governance Frameworks
As a member and ecosystem builder, I want to leverage existing FPP frameworks to create specialized solutions for my community and earn revenue when others use my extensions.
7. Early Adopter Advantages
For Individual Members and Service Providers
- Reputation Compounds - Leaderboard visibility, inbound inquiries, speaking opportunities
- Content Network Effects - Your contributions become foundations others build on
- Relationship Capital - Connect with FPP core team and other specialists
- First-Mover Visibility - Establish authority before market gets crowded
- Revenue Priority - Early contributions capture licensing revenue as market grows
For Associations and Communities
- First-Mover Authority - Establish your association as THE FPP experts for your domain
- Ecosystem Ownership - Your frameworks become foundations others build on
- Member FOMO - Attract members who see contribution opportunities
- Revenue Priority - Early specialization captures licensing as market grows
- Competitive Advantage - Build network effects before competitors enter
8. Rosie's Business Model Summary
| Contributory Ecosystem Model | Participants contribute knowledge and IP, earning time-credits and IPR revenue based on their contributions. |
| Proportional Rewards (RoC) | Rewards are distributed based on the relevance and impact of contributions. |
| Self-Sustaining Economy | Contributors earn time-credits that reduce future costs, promoting a self-funding model. Credits can be gifted to other members or used to incentivize new members to join. |
| Transparency and Trust | Transparent economics enhance accountability and build trust within the ecosystem. |
| Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) | Creators maintain control over their content and earn income through licensing. |
| Governance Operationalization | Transforming governance principles into actionable processes, enabling derivative IPR licensing and revenue sharing. |
| Revenue Sharing | FPP receives percentage of Rosie AI Assistant hourly rates and IPR licensing fees, creating sustainable cooperative income. |
| Productization and Licensing | Opportunities for productizing Rosie and its knowledge base for resell, creating additional revenue streams. |
9. Pricing Model
- Bring-Your-Own-AI-Provider - Pay for platform access only
- Rosie AI Assistant Hourly Rate - Pay per use (FPP receives revenue share)
- IPR Licensing Fees - Ecosystem-wide licensing (FPP receives revenue share on upstream content)
10. Conclusion
Volunteers need incentives to stay engaged in long-game ecosystems. So let's focus on the short game, make the First Person Project Journey the Product, and incentivize members to contribute so they too can prosper along the way, leading to a future of shared prosperity and growth. Through Rosie's revenue-sharing model, the FPP cooperative generates sustainable income from both AI Assistant usage and IPR licensing fees, creating a truly self-sustaining ecosystem.
Next Step: Let's chat. Schedule a short call to learn how we can get started, now!
Learn More: First Person Project 1-Pager | Contributory Ecosystem Model | FPP Specialization for Service Providers | FPP Specialization for Ecosystems & Communities